NoSurf Fest 2025: The Homegrown San Diego Festival That Keeps Getting Bigger (and Better)
NoSurf Fest 2025, the independently produced indie/electronic San Diego festival, is set to return this August with its largest edition yet. Following a string of consistently sold-out shows, including 1,500 attendees at The Soap Factory in 2023 and a packed night at the Oceanside Museum of Art, the festival will once again take over The Soap Factory, this time expanding to accommodate 2,500 people.
The growth reflects what longtime attendees already value about NoSurf: a carefully curated day of music, art, and community that prioritizes substance over spectacle. Known for giving rising artists a platform before they break, NoSurf has quietly earned a reputation for spotting talent early and creating a space where people actually show up for the openers.
This year’s expansion also brings a new creative partnership. NoSurf is teaming up with Hotbed, a San Diego-based collective recognized for its intimate, off-the-radar dance events, to co-curate the festival’s electronic stage. The collaboration marks a natural evolution for both groups and signals a more refined approach to programming. It’s proof that the festival isn’t just getting bigger, it’s becoming more intentional in its sound and identity.
The 2025 edition takes place on Saturday, August 23, at The Soap Factory in Barrio Logan. The 21+ event runs from 1 PM to 10 PM, with two stages (indie and electronic), immersive visual art, local food vendors, and a production model that continues to reflect NoSurf’s grassroots values and sustainable approach.
From Surf Forecasts to Sold-Out Shows
NoSurf didn’t start as a festival. It started as GoSurf, a San Diego-built app that provided local wave forecasts and beach conditions. When the app was discontinued, the creators took the core idea—community built around culture—and turned it into something tangible. Instead of pushing updates, they started throwing events.
The first few years of NoSurf were smaller, personal, and sold out quickly. Each event stayed grounded in its original intent: book acts the team actually loves, partner with locals, and keep the experience tight without overcomplicating it. That foundation remains the same today, only with much requested expansion in size to accommodate a larger crowd.
The 2025 Lineup
This year’s indie stage will feature The Red Pears, Krooked Kings, and Spaceface, a psych-pop band with ties to The Flaming Lips. On the electronic side, curation is led by Hotbed, the stage this year includes headliner Loods, an Australian producer known for infectious house grooves, along with a back-to-back set from rising local DJs Shaking and Clearcast, and stage takeovers from local San Diego collectives Bootydew, Yoon, Funk Around, and the Hotbed crew.
As in years past, the openers are worth catching. NoSurf has quietly built a reputation for booking emerging talent right before their breakout moment. It’s not part of the pitch, but it’s become a pattern regulars have come to expect.
Expanding With Intention
The move from 1,500 to 2,500 attendees isn’t about hype—it’s about space. More room for longer sets, better production, and more freedom to showcase art and music without compromise. The Soap Factory’s warehouse layout gives the festival the flexibility to grow without losing its energy.
This year, a portion of ticket proceeds will support the East County Arts Association, a nonprofit that provides resources, exhibitions, and education opportunities for artists across San Diego’s East County region. It’s a nod to the festival’s belief that supporting local artists shouldn’t stop at the stage.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
Time: 1 PM – 10 PM
Location: The Soap Factory, Barrio Logan
Age: 21 and over
Tickets: Available here
Tickets start at $51 and include full access to both stages, art installations, and vendor areas. Prices are transparent (plus tax), with no hidden fees.
NoSurf Fest is still doing what it’s always done—offering a tight, thoughtful experience curated by locals who care. Whether you’re there to catch your favorite indie band, discover a DJ before they blow up, or just spend a Saturday surrounded by good people and good sound, this year’s event is shaping up to be something special.
